Thinking Of Purcahsing A Gp32 Blu

[alyinsanfran]

Thanks for the link spaceboygp32x . I guess I would be ordering from www.gbax.com (being in the UK) as they guarantee 166 MHz units. I would like the most powerfull available (and stable), to be able to play the most mame roms (when available).

Thanks also, alyinsanfran , for the link regarding a poster with a similar issue. I guess as the blu's the latest, then there's more chance of new programming for the blu rather than flu.

What I'm still unsure about is the difference between a blu and blu+. You say that some games would not show the scanline due to a border. Is this because it is running at it's natural resolution and is only noticable when stretched? Is a scanline just a line of pixels across the screen? Sorry for so many questions but I'm trying to learn as much as possible before I part with my £'s (I just need to be sure ). Btw, does anybody have a screenshot of this scanline or wouldn't it be noticable?

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Yeah the scanline is just the top row of pixels. Originally the blu+ had a giant white bar across the middle too, but developers have released versions of emulators that get around that problem.
The moved scanline is noticeable, but only of you look at the screen straight on, and even then only if you really pay attention. I thought it'd be a problem but I'm so used to it I never even see it. And I tilt the Gp slightly away from me (otherwise I get a reflection of my ugly mug) which completely hides it, as the screen is quite recessed into the body of the GP (a good thing 'cause it makes it harder to scratch).
One other thing, although I've not played with a flu or unlit, is that apprently the launcher that is built into blu/blu+ is way better. I think you had to register the unlit one online or some such thing in order to be able to play stuff you'd downloaded. A lot of people 'flash' their GP's with different launchers but I have to say I find my blu+ launcher to be fast and reliable and have no intention of tinkering to that level (with my luck I'd get a power cut halfway through).
I think if you can find a regular blu it's the better choice, but they're hard to find.
The blu+ is a great piece of hardware that you'll not regret purchasing.

 

[GA01]

Something else I have just read (FAQ), is the crooked screen and also it being yellow. Surely, this has been corrected/modified since by Gamepark.

 

[spaceboygp32x]

Something else I have just read (FAQ), is the crooked screen and also it being yellow. Surely, this has been corrected/modified since by Gamepark.

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OK... hold on a mo!

the FLU and the BLU are basically the same unit with different lights!!

so the FLU will play all the new stuff that comes out no problem...

you dont get anything xtra buying the BLU unit apart from a better screen - the processor and components remain the same!

the units sold by GBAX are BLU+ i.e. taiwanese screen. (BLU+ is just what we call the unit on this forum so all the BLU units will say just BLU)

if you dont want a taiwanese screen the only option is to buy second user!

sPaCe h34r:

 

[Jr2swiss]

Something else I have just read (FAQ), is the crooked screen and also it being yellow. Surely, this has been corrected/modified since by Gamepark.

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Many screens are yellow however you can get a glass screen to solve the problem.

 

[GA01]

OK, maybe I'm just being a little bit paranoid about this scaline issue . Without actually seeing it, I can only imagine (and that's probably worse) and if any future programming is done on the GP32, it will be done for the BLU+ (i.e no scanlines), I guess. As my main reason for buying a GP32 was because of Mame, would the scanline be visible on the BLU+?

Thanks again for all your help, much appreciated.

 

[GA01]

Many screens are yellow however you can get a glass screen to solve the problem.

Can these be ordered from www.gbax.com (being from the UK) ?

 

[Titcher]

The scanline is just where the top row of pixels get sent the bottom, just 1 row, no major difference.

 

[Jr2swiss]

You can get the glass screens from me which is ~$10.00 shipped worldwide.

 

[Blah]

Issue #1: Crooked and yellowed screen: It is not really crooked, maybe by 1 degree, and the plastic screen cover is tinted slightly yellow on purpose to balance out the color of the backlight. So thats OK.

Issue #2: BLU+. If you buy a new GP32, you have a 99% chance of getting a BLU+. If you get one used, your chances are about 20%.

But the BLU+ "issue" is not really much of an issue. Most programs work correctly on all types of GP32. Others have a BLU+ mode for support. Still others have alternate BLU+ versions.

That just leaves a few old programs. These programs could be easily fixed by their authors or anybody with the source code. Most of these old incompatible programs are ones you wouldn't want to play anyway.

The only major one I can think of is the SNES emulator, and it doesn't emulate the SNES that well anyway. The author, YoyoFR has said that he purchased a BLU+ (he didn't need to, he wanted to) and will eventually get around to fixing it.

Gamepark are probably also working on a solution. It will be a long time before they release their proposed GP32 successor (if they release it), atleast a year, so they have good reason to fix it.

 

[johncross85]

Gamepark started making GP32 BLUs using a different supplier for the LCD screens. GP32s with the new screens are what we have been calling BLU+. The different screens require a slightly different driver and this caused some problems with emus/games... mainly the white bar and the scanline. The white bar had been resolved in pretty much everthing but the scanline persists in many things. However, the scan line issue simply moves the top row of pixels to the bottom of the screen and hence is virtually unnoticiable.

The yellowing that is mentioned is due to the slightly yellow tint of the plastic used in the screen cover (ie the clear plastic screen that goes between the LCD and the outer world).

There is not much that you can do about the BLU+ issue as all new GP32s are BLU+ models... don't worry about it as most devvers take it into consideration now. As for the the 'yellowing', you can replace the plastic screen with a glass one if it really bothers you but it's probably worth trying first to be sure - it's really not much of an issue at all.

J(ohn)


EDIT : And I have just repeated pretty much what people with faster typing fingers have already said...

 

[spaceboygp32x]

Gamepark started making GP32 BLUs using a different supplier for the LCD screens. GP32s with the new screens are what we have been calling BLU+. The different screens require a slightly different driver and this caused some problems with emus/games... mainly the white bar and the scanline. The white bar had been resolved in pretty much everthing but the scanline persists in many things. However, the scan line issue simply moves the top row of pixels to the bottom of the screen and hence is virtually unnoticiable.

The yellowing that is mentioned is due to the slightly yellow tint of the plastic used in the screen cover (ie the clear plastic screen that goes between the LCD and the outer world).

There is not much that you can do about the BLU+ issue as all new GP32s are BLU+ models... don't worry about it as most devvers take it into consideration now. As for the the 'yellowing', you can replace the plastic screen with a glass one if it really bothers you but it's probably worth trying first to be sure - it's really not much of an issue at all.

J(ohn)


EDIT : And I have just repeated pretty much what people with faster typing fingers have already said...

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just buy one already!!!! :blink:

 

[lubidog]

Pointless post, but as a BLU+ user from GBAx, I have no prolems with it at all!!! It's just no big issue. GBAx were great.

You'll be so amazed playing these games on a handheld, that your smile will be HUGE!!!!

(PS. Check out the speccy emulator Fzx. Ooh, the speccy )

EDIT Sorry, I meant my post was pointless, cos everything has been said! If this thread can't persuade you, nothing will! We are all so happy people!